


a portrait of infatuation (as told by kageyama tobio)

by spider_momo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Miya Atsumu Is Whipped, POV Kageyama Tobio, Post-Time Skip, a story narrated by kageyama tobio, atsumu is an instagram hoe and in love with his bf, hinata tries his best to restore balance, kageyama just wanted to eat some sweet potatoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27782797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spider_momo/pseuds/spider_momo
Summary: “What are you doing?” Tobio asks, giving Atsumu-san his yakiimo.“Taking a pic!” Atsumu-san says cheerfully, typing something out on his phone, “My boyfriend peeling sweet potatoes for me. How romantic!”“Why would you need a picture of that?” Tobio asks around a mouthful of warm sweet potato.(The sweet potato was really good and maybe worth the later stress felt by all parties involved.)“So everyone knows how wonderfully you treat me,” Atsumu-san singsongs, picking up his chopsticks and digging into his noodles.---In which Atsumu posts way too many pictures of his boyfriend and Tobio, in an attempt to not make it a big deal, turns in into an even bigger deal...
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Miwa & Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio/Miya Atsumu, background Haiba Alisa/Kageyama Miwa
Comments: 66
Kudos: 484





	a portrait of infatuation (as told by kageyama tobio)

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! i originally was writing this for kageyama week 2020 but just needed to post it right away because we are strongly lacking in atsukage content :'(
> 
> hope you all enjoy!!

Okay. This is where Tobio would start off by using a metaphor to help set the mood or whatever. But Tobio has always been bad at metaphors and symbolism and tone and just about every other literary device. Just ask his high school literature teachers.

(Maybe not Takeda-sensei though, he’s too nice for his own good. It’s great for Tobio’s self-esteem, less great for his narration skills.)

To clarify: if there’s some intelligent metaphor out there about suddenly realizing something and then you’re unable to go back to life before that realization because that realization has changed your life and you just can’t pretend like you don’t know about it anymore… that’s what happened to Tobio. Maybe. 

( _Enlightenment_ does not sound like the correct word but he doesn’t have a good enough grasp of the definition to disagree… )

Okay. Onto the thing now. 

The first time Tobio notices is not the first time it occurs. Frankly, it’s a little baffling and embarrassing that he has no clue how long it _had_ been going on prior to becoming aware of it. 

But here’s how Tobio’s Enlightenment goes down:

He’s having lunch with Atsumu-san, eating his _oden_ —

(Which is maybe the _worst_ part because now how is he supposed to eat out ever again without thinking about this whole mess?

— so he’s eating his _oden_ (which tastes amazing and warms Tobio’s stomach in the most pleasant way) when he notices something: Atsumu-san hasn’t even touched his meal yet. The older setter is too busy angling his phone above the table, trying to get a perfect shot. _This_ , Tobio has noticed before. Atsumu-san likes to take pictures of his food because, in reality, he’s just as much of a foodie as his twin brother. 

(Even if he denies it by saying Osamu-san is _at least 18% more obsessed with food._ ) 

So, him spending too much time taking a picture of his meal instead of digging in is nothing out of the ordinary. Normally, Tobio would leave him be and focus on his own food. But today is a little different.

You see, something else that’s the norm when Dining with Tobio: Tobio rarely takes food off of other people’s plates. He has no problem sharing (well, with some people at least) but he usually orders what he wants and eats that instead of trying other people’s food. 

But today… Atsumu-san orders some freshly-baked _yakiimo_ as one of his sides. And they’re just sitting there, steaming and hot, and Atsumu-san hasn’t even touched them. 

Tobio wants one. It’s been a long time since he’s had any roasted sweet potatoes and there are some perfectly good ones sitting in front of him. Atsumu-san is now done taking pictures of his food but is still preoccupied with his phone. There’s _yakiimo_ sitting less than an arms-length away from him and he wants some, so Tobio (like the creature of instinct he is) reaches over and grabs one and begins to peel it. 

“Your food is gonna get cold,” he chastises Atsumu-san. Atsumu-san mutters a distracted ‘ _yeah, yeah_ ,’ still not looking up. Tobio sets the half-peeled sweet potato down onto his plate and reaches for another, deciding he might as well peel one for Atsumu-san since they only have so much time to have lunch together before they have to go work. 

It’s when he’s finished peeling the top half of Atsumu-san’s sweet potato, about to reach over and place it on Atsumu-san’s plate, that Tobio briefly looks up and sees Atsumu’s camera facing him. 

“What are you doing?” Tobio asks, giving Atsumu-san his _yakiimo_. 

“Taking a pic!” Atsumu-san says cheerfully, typing something out on his phone, “My boyfriend peeling sweet potatoes for me. How romantic!” 

“Why would you need a picture of that?” Tobio asks around a mouthful of warm sweet potato.

(The sweet potato was really good and maybe worth the later stress felt by all parties involved.) 

“So everyone knows how wonderfully you treat me,” Atsumu-san singsongs, picking up his chopsticks and digging into his noodles. 

Tobio, very confused, spends too much time mulling over Atsumu-san’s words and before he can probe any further, Atsumu-san begins telling Tobio about all the klutzy things Hinata did in practice the last week and his questions (for the time being) remain unsolved. 

(Making fun of Hinata takes precedence over most things and Tobio will defend himself on that until the end of time)

The two setters finish eating their lunches and head out. Atsumu-san wraps his scarf around Tobio’s neck, telling him to stay warm before planting a loud kiss on Tobio’s forehead. The two of them walk, their joint hands swinging gently between them, until they have to part at an intersection. 

Tobio heads to afternoon practice, his questions about Atsumu-san’s abnormal behaviour being buried beneath thoughts of jump serves and quick sets.

📷🏐💞

Okay. It’s quite possible Tobio has been telling this story far more dramatically than necessary— 

(Most definitely Atsumu-san’s influence, not his fault.)

— because the next part is actually pretty anticlimactic. 

Tobio forgets about the picture thing for a whole four days. Most likely would have never given it a second thought has it not been for Hinata. Tobio often wonders if Hinata was just somehow born without that part of your brain that says to you _hey, let’s not say that aloud, buddy._ Hinata’s lack of brain-to-mouth filter? Annoying for sure. Probably gives his mother a ton of embarrassment, ranging from both first-hand and second-hand. But, in some weird and convoluted way, Hinata’s lack of self-awareness was the missing cog that turned the gears of Tobio’s mind on once again, helping him reach Enlightenment. 

(And _no_ , that’s not because Hinata and he share the same brain cell, don’t ever say that again.)

So, Hinata and he are hanging out at Tobio’s apartment because it’s bigger and way better furnished that Hinata’s— 

(It doesn’t _matter_ if it’s because his older sister is the one who decorated it. Hinata’s place is trash and that’s an objective fact.)

— and the two of them are just relaxing on Tobio’s exquisite L-shaped sectional; Tobio laying down on the shorter end, Hinata curled up next to him at the intersection. Tobio’s filing his nails after Hinata goaded him into doing his too because it’s _‘like getting a free manicure!’_ while Hinata scrolls through his phone, popping a green grape into his mouth every now and then.

Just as Tobio is finishing up with his nails, Hinata presses the back of his head against Tobio’s left shoulder, tilting his head back to squint up at him. 

“Ehh…?” Hinata mutters, looking up at Tobio and then back at his screen.

“What is it?” Tobio asks, examining the tips of his nails. 

“Wah, I think I finally understand the art of photography. The power of lighting and angles, I almost thought you were actually handsome for a second,” Hinata says, sounding somewhat awed. 

“What hell are you talking about?” Tobio scowls.

“Ah, good thing I have your scowly face in front of me!” Hinata coos at Tobio like he’s a kitten or something, his hand poking at Tobio’s cheek. 

Tobio scowls harder, pulling his legs in and sitting up straighter. “Are you gonna say anything that makes sense, dumbass?” 

“Did you know,” Hinata shifts as well, tucking one ankle underneath his thigh, “your boyfriend’s a pretty talented photographer?” Tobio, tired of asking questions, blinks at Hinata and waits for him to continue. 

“See, see?” Hinata shifts closer, showing Tobio his phone screen. He has Instagram pulled up, his feed showing Atsumu-san’s page. 

It’s a photo. Of him. Peeling sweet potatoes. 

The light that hung above him shines over his figure, highlighting him in a golden-orange. His head is tilted to the side slightly, bangs falling to the right a little. His eyes look downwards, but you can still catch a glimpse of that shocking blue underneath his black eyelashes. His hands look more delicate than usual, palms covered up by the sleeves of his baggy pullover, long fingers working to remove the skin of the sweet potato. There’s something about the dark wood of the restaurant table, the warm glow of the lighting, that pairs well with his charcoal coloured sweater and inky hair. 

It’s a nice photo. 

And judging by the _liked by thousands of others_ underneath the post, _thousands_ of other people think so too.

“You liked it,” Tobio accuses when he sees the little red heart. 

“Why wouldn’t I like a photo of my best friend?” Hinata sniffs, pulling his phone back. Tobio shoots him a look. “It’s a good photo!” Hinata says defensively, “Plus, it’s Atsumu-kun! He’d get all grouchy at practice if I didn’t like it.”

“Weirdo.”

“Me or Atsumu-san?”

“You, _obviously_ ,” 

“You know what’s _weird?_ ” Hinata bounces onto his knees, “You, for never even looking at Instagram or any social media site ever.”

“Hey, I posted a picture of Miwa nee-san's cat that one time,” Tobio frowns.

“That was literally _four months ago_ ,” Hinata waves said picture in Tobio’s face as evidence. 

“I miss Mikan,” Tobio sighs forlornly at the picture, making a mental note to visit his sister/sister’s cat soon. 

(No, the cat’s not named after Hinata. No, his sister does not like Hinata better. _No_ , Tobio is not about to cry oh my god—) 

“Anyway. Kinda unfair _you_ of all people don’t have to suffer Atsumu-kun’s posting sprees— _actually_ , that makes sense,” Hinata considers, staring into blank space, eyebrow quirked.

“Huh?” Tobio shoots him a questioning look, grabbing a couple of grapes from the bowl. 

“You really never check Instagram? Ever?” Hinata asks.

“Sometimes I have to post for brand deals but I just let the media intern do it mostly,” Tobio shrugs. 

“Interesting,” Hinata nods, eyes slightly narrowed. Tobio, tired of this conversation, leaves Hinata to his weirdo-thoughts. He grabs his own phone, shooting a text to his sister to send him more cat pictures. Right before he’s about to set his phone down, he looks over to Hinata again. 

“What’s me never being on Instagram have to do with Atsumu-san’s posts?” He asks, thumb swiping a screen over, clicking on the underused app. 

“How can you not know?” Hinata wonders. “Is he keeping it a secret on purpose?” Tobio shoots Hinata a wary look before searching for Atsumu-san’s account. It looks normal so far: his icon is him in his MSBY jersey, bio indicating his position and team. He now has more followers than Tobio last recalls, nearing 700k. Tobio scrolls down and the latest post isn’t the sweet potato one. But it’s him again.

Tobio has no clue when this was taken, barely remembers when it is even from. But it’s him, looking up towards the sky as thick snowflakes fall past him. His cheeks and nose are flushed a starch pink from the cold air; the pink colour standing out against the pale background and his dark clothing. The slope of his nose and jaw are clear from this angle, some of his neck peeking out from beneath his thin wool scarf as well. It’s him for sure. But something about it all makes him look so _different_. Too soft and too poised. 

This one also has thousands of likes, despite only being posted half a day ago. 

Tobio scrolls further and to his surprise he’s featured a lot more on Atsumu-san’s Instagram than he would have thought. In fact, if he had to roughly guess, somewhere between a third to half of all of Atsumu-san’s pictures in recent months were of Tobio. Odd, since Atsumu-san likes to spend a lot of time taking pictures of himself and his food. 

But then again…Tobio clicks on a few different posts, remembering the days but having no memory of Atsumu-san taking his photo…maybe he spends just as much time taking pictures of Tobio.

He clicks on a post from a little over a week ago. It’s him in his morning jog outfit; a form-fitting black athletic zip-up and a pair of dark blue shorts on top of tight black leggings. He’s standing, head tilted upwards as he drinks some water, gloved hands wrapped around the metal bottle. Atsumu-san and he had gone out for a jog at sunrise; it had been cold that morning and Atsumu-san bought him some hot chocolate after they cooled down. Tobio wonders what he was so focused on to not have noticed Atsumu-san taking his picture during their water break. 

Tobio scrolls down, eyes skimming over the comments—

(How is it self-obsessed to read comments about himself if he isn’t the one who posted the picture?)

— there’s a lot of emojis. Sparkly eyes and colourful hearts. Lots of the hot-face emoji which are, sadly, paired with a lot of splashing sweat and eggplants so Tobio can’t even try and convince himself they’re referring to something more innocent, like his temperature post-workout. 

“Do you get it now?” Hinata pokes Tobio’s cheek again.

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Tobio says, eyes narrowing as he continues to stalk his boyfriend’s Instagram page. 

“The important thing is that you didn’t hear it from _me_ ,” Hinata laughs nervously, grabbing Tobio’s free hand and interlocking their pinkies in a forced pinky-promise. Tobio hums inattentively, turning his phone off and spinning it in his hand as he thinks.

“Yamayama-kun?” Hinata chirps, “Are you, uh, okay?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Tobio says nonchalantly. 

“I don’t know. Maybe ‘cause you just found out your boyfriend is a part-time pro volleyball player and a part-timer Kageyama Tobio fanpage?” 

Tobio observes Hinata for a second. Hinata looks up with him with unmasked concern, brown eyes as big as ever, orangey hair getting slightly too long.

(Ever since they brought Mikan up again, Tobio is reminded of the uncanny resemblance between Hinata and her and does not enjoy it one bit.)

“You hungry?” Tobio asks after a few moments, using their still interlocked pinkies to knock Hinata’s hand against his chin. Hinata scrunches his face up, releasing their pinkies and rubbing at his chin. Kageyama stands up, grabbing his phone and sending an imploring look at Hinata, “Chinese?”

“I want chicken chow mein and dumplings!” Hinata says eagerly. Food has always been a good distraction when it comes to Hinata. Right up there with volleyball and videos of baby animals trying to walk. 

📷🏐💞

It’s silly to assume that just because Tobio is suddenly aware of something that the whole world will shift now too. 

Because it doesn’t. Everything is exactly how it was three days ago. The universe has no knowledge of the things Tobio has now seen. A somewhat exhilarating thought. 

Yet, Tobio can’t help but stare Atsumu-san down with a piercing look, hoping that if he stares long enough some sort of explanation will arise. 

“Tobio-kun,” Atsumu-san says, looking kinda spooked.

“Yes?” Tobio doesn’t break his gaze, doesn’t even blink. Okay, he just blinked but it was quick.

“I know you’re not a talkative person,” Atsumu-san starts, slow and placatingly. “It’s great, means I get to talk more. But, if something’s wrong you should use your words,” Atsumu-san takes Tobio’s right hand into his, patting the back of Tobio’s hand gently. Tobio continues to stare into Atsumu-san’s eyes, speculative and scrutinizing. Atsumu-san smiles nervously as he plays with Tobio’s fingers.

“You like me,” Tobio concludes. 

“Uh, are ya asking? The answer’s yes. Thought it was obvious enough?” Atsumu-san cocks his head to the side. 

“It is obvious,” Tobio agrees, nodding his head. “You really _really_ like me, huh?”

“Uh—”

“That’s why you did it.”

“Did what?” Atsumu-san blinks in confusion. 

“It,” Tobio repeats.

“Did _it?_ Like sex?” 

“No.”

“No?”

“Your hands are soft, what lotion are you using?” Tobio lifts Atsumu-san’s hand up, running a thumb over his palm. 

“Some Korean stuff Omi-kun keeps recommending. Wait, what were you saying before—”

“It’s okay,” Tobio slips his fingers through Atsumu-san’s. “I like you too.” 

That distracts Atsumu-san, even if unintentionally. 

(He’s pretty sure his eyes don’t actually sparkle like _a thousand tiny stars on a dark night_ when he says stuff like that, but he’ll take Atsumu-san’s word for it.)

📷🏐💞 

A few people, those brave enough to ask Tobio about his love life, have asked him before why he likes Atsumu-san of all people. 

A fair question, Tobio agrees. 

One that Tobio actually does have an answer to: Atsumu-san is really cool. 

Many would disagree with that statement and on several days Tobio himself would too. 

But Atsumu-san has some crazy serving accuracy, he’s a true setter through and through. He dyes his hair this pretty blond colour and is good at taking pictures. He can flick a Jenga piece out with just his index finger and knows how to cook Japanese and Western food. He gives really good massages and is rather well-informed about sheet masks. He does that thing where he reverses the car with one hand on the wheel and one on the passenger seat. As dramatic as he is, he doesn’t put on a show and pretend to be someone else. He can get up and talk to people without any awkwardness. He even boldly confessed his feelings to Tobio and asked him out. 

Atsumu-san is really cool and liking him is so easy. 

And it’s because Tobio likes him so much that he finds himself inside a pretty cafe, sitting next to Atsumu-san on a wooden bench seat that runs along one of the cafe’s walls. Tobio’s hot matcha latte sits half-finished next to Atsumu-san’s French vanilla. Atsumu-san isn’t really looking at him, glaring off to the side as he talks about something (Osamu-san maybe?) but Tobio isn’t paying attention to his words. He’s too busy fiddling with his phone in his right hand, thumb hovering over the camera app. He peeks at Atsumu-san, who’s still waving his hands around as he continues his story/bitch session. Deciding that this is something way too stupid to get embarrassed over, Tobio scoots closer to Atsumu-san, readying his camera. Before Atsumu-san can notice Tobio darts forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek and clicking to take the photo. 

Atsumu-san turns his head to face him, the tips of their noses brushing against each other. Tobio doesn’t think he notices that his picture was just taken because all he does is smile at Tobio and peck his lips a few times. 

“What was I saying again?” Atsumu-san blinks, leaning back.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t listening,” Tobio says bluntly.

“Hey!” So, Atsumu-san begins telling his story again, starting from the beginning. Tobio still does not manage to hear it all the way through since, while gesticulating wildly, Atsumu-san knocks over his drink, spilling French vanilla coffee all over the table. He then stands up in a panic, knocking Tobio’s drink over as well. Some girls a few seats away look at them, whispering and laughing. Tobio sighs, sinking lower into his seat as Atsumu-san frantically tries to clean up the mess with the handful of napkins he has. 

A cafe worker comes over, unimpressed, and politely tells Atsumu-san it’s alright, cleaning up the rest of the mess with a damp towel. 

(Yes, he’s aware he was _just_ talking about how ‘cool’ Atsumu-san is. _Yes_ , he also thinks Atsumu-san is a total buffoon. Duality of man.)

Later that night, Tobio sits in his apartment, his fluffiest pair of pyjamas on as he stares intently at the photo on his phone. 

It’s nothing professional. Neither of them is looking at the camera; Atsumu-san staring off to the side, eyes slightly wide with shock as Tobio kisses his cheek, his own eyes shut tightly. It’s not a bad photo either, Tobio thinks. It’s relatively unblurry, and the cafe had nice lighting. They look nice together, Tobio’s black hair and slightly darker skin paired with Atsumu’s pale blond locks and pink-ish cheeks, both of them sitting close to each other in cozy winter sweaters. 

It’s good enough, is Tobio’s final conclusion. And so he opens his Instagram app, frowning as he searches for the new post button. He doesn’t bother adding a filter or anything. He uploads the photo and types _he spilled our drinks >:( _ as the comment. He debates for a second though, whether or not he should tag Atsumu-san in it. They both follow each other and considering Atsumu-san is actually active on Instagram, there’s a good chance he’d see it either way. 

Deciding he might as well go all-in for this embarrassing couple post, Tobio tags Atsumu-san, placing the black tag right over his face. 

Tobio hits post and tosses his phone aside. He gets up and goes to do some stretches before he heads to bed, not remembering to check his phone before he falls asleep. 

📷🏐💞

When Tobio does check his phone the next morning, he panics. There are far more notifications on his lock screen than he’s used to and his mind immediately thinks someone has died. There are several texts asking him if he’s feeling okay and Tobio has no clue what’s happening or who to even ask. 

His phone buzzes; another notification from **Hinata Boke🍊🌞** — 

(Shut up, the emojis aren’t _cute_ , they’re condescending and mocking.) 

— so Tobio opens the chat but hits the call button instead of reading the cryptic messages.

Hinata picks up after a ring and half, “Good morning, Kageyama-kun!”

“What the hell is going on?” Tobio has no time or patience to mince his words. 

“Huh?

“Why’s everyone messaging me?” Tobio taps the speaker button and takes the time to peruse through said messages more closely. “You, Hoshiumi-san, Hirugami-san, Sugawara-san, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, my fucking landlady?” Tobio lists. 

(His landlady was actually letting him know a package arrived for him but his point still stands.)

“Um, well. First question: were you drunk last night?” Hinata asks.

“No.”

“Okay. Second question: have you checked your Instagram notifications?” 

“No. Pretty sure I have everything muted,” Tobio mutters, annoyed until he _remembers_. He leaves his messages alone, opening up Instagram instead. 

Lo-and-behold, his notifications there are even more intense. He goes to his profile page and sees his follower count has gone up, pushing him past just 400k (and he’s pretty sure a good number of those were already from people who found him through Atsumu-san’s account). He scrolls down to look at the picture he posted. It’s a little surreal to see that thousands of people have seen and liked his photo and the urge to delete it shoots through him for a moment. He preserves however and scrolls down further to the comments.

A lot of people saying _aww_ and _how cute_ ; lots of heart and rainbow emojis. Among that, however, there are some other comments: 

**syoyo_h21✔: oh my god i can never tell you anything** **  
****yachitoka: what a cute photo kageyama!** **  
****miya_onigiri✔: tobio-kun you could do so much better than that trash 🤧** **  
****hoshiumimimi✔: really? right in front of my salad?** **  
****oikawatooru01✔: 🤢** **  
****sugacube94: anyone else concerned for kageyama’s well being rn??**

Interestingly enough, there’s no comment from a _certain someone._ There is a like though. So, that’s good, right? 

“Hello? You still there, Yamayama-kun?” 

Tobio sits up and rolls out of bed. He ends speaker mode, lifting the phone to his ear again, “Why’s everyone freaking out?” 

“Uh, because _you_ of all people posted a picture on Instagram. And a cutesy couple pic too!” Hinata cries out and Tobio can practically see him throwing his hands up in the air.

“Is it really that weird?” Tobio fiddles with the hem of his shirt. 

“Posting a boyfriend picture? No. _You_ posting a boyfriend picture? Yes,” Hinata scoffs. 

Tobio scowls, “You still liked the photo.”

“I’m supportive like that. But _why_ would you do that right after I told you about Atsumu-kun’s _thing_?” 

“I felt like it,” Tobio shrugs.

“Ahhh! Don’t you know anything about being subtle?”

“Atsumu-san also liked the picture,” Tobio adds, waiting for Hinata’s input.

“Yeah, I know,” Hinata giggled, “He woke up at like 5 in the morning and started freaking out about it. He thinks it’s some sort of passive-aggressive message on your part.” 

“It wasn’t. Mostly,” Tobio says, trying to make his bed with one hand. “It’s just a picture, right?”

“Yeah… but now Atsumu-kun knows that _you_ _know_ his Instagram is practically a digital shrine in your honour. He probably thinks you’re mad or weirded out.” 

“It’s just Instagram. It’s not that big of a deal,” Tobio huffs. He opens his curtains and stares out at the cloudy skies.

“It is when the only thing you ever post are cat pictures once a season!” Hinata puffs in exasperation. Tobio hears shuffling on the other end of the line and then some voices.

“ _Shoyo-kun! You’re on the phone while I’m in the middle of a crisis? Who’re ya even talking to?”_

“Uh...no one?” He hears Hinata laugh nervously.

“ _Hey, are you on the phone with Tobio-kun? Hang up!”_

“Wha— no!” Tobio hears static and the sounds of Hinata struggling. “He’s _my_ friend, I’ll talk to him when I want to!”

“Hello?” Tobio waits for a response but only hears more muffled shouts and shuffling. The shouts quickly turn into shrieks and Tobio thinks he can hear a third voice (Bokuto-san?) yelling in the background as well. 

(He is very grateful that the Adlers don’t require team dorms and that he can enjoy the peace and quiet of his own apartment. Yes, he is flexing. Die mad about it.)

“Gotta go now, Kageyama-kun,” Hinata chokes out. “I love you!”

_“Don’t say that to him!”_

“Why? Did you want to say it?”

 _“Oh my god hang up alre—”_ The line goes dead. Tobio stares at his phone for a second before sighing. He goes back to his messages and scrolls down and texts the one person who hadn’t pestered him about his photo.

📷🏐💞

The first thing Tobio does when he slips into his sister’s apartment is take his shoes off and put on some slippers— 

(Yeah, he knows that’s a normal thing to do. The important part is what he does next but he can’t just lie and say it was the first thing, oh my god.)

— the _second_ thing Tobio does is sit down in his sister’s entryway and scoop up Mikan and give her all the pats and scratches she deserves. 

“Ah, you’re here?” Miwa nee-san pops her head around the corner. “Come sit inside at least.” 

Tobio blindly stumbles after his sister, eyes glued to Mikan, and plops himself down on the floor cushion in front of the coffee table. 

“Oh, Tobio-kun, you’re here!” 

“Hi, Alisa-san,” Tobio nods his head in greeting because he’s still unsure about how to interact with his sister’s girlfriend. Alisa-san is very nice at least and if not for the physical resemblance Tobio would have no clue how she’s related to Haiba Lev. 

“I made some apple _sharlotka_ , would you like some?” Alisa-san asks, looking at him with bright and eager eyes. Tobio has no clue what _sharlotka_ is but he’s too preoccupied with being polite to ask, let alone decline, so he nods his head yes and Alisa-san cheerily skips back to the kitchen. 

“So…” Miwa nee-san says, sitting next to Tobio. “What brings you over here, Tobio?”

“Mikan,” Tobio lifts the cat in question up towards his sister. 

Miwa nee-san clicks her tongue. “So, it has nothing to do with your sudden reappearance on social media.”

“It was _one_ picture,” Tobio grumbles.

“It was a cute picture,” Miwa nee-san hums. 

“So I’ve heard,” Tobio says dryly. “It’s not even that big of a deal.”

“If you say so,” Miwa nee-san laughs. 

“Ta-da!” Alisa-san returns with a tray lined with three plates of some pie-cake-hybrid-looking-thing and three glasses of milk, which Tobio greatly appreciates. The three of them chat as they eat. Well, Miwa nee-san and Alisa-san chat while Tobio speaks if any questions are aimed towards him directly. Tobio eats the apple _sharlotka_ (which is actually pretty nice) and sits in deep thought, mulling over his current predicament. 

It’s when he’s finished his last bite of apple _sharlotka_ and downing his milk in one go that Tobio comes up with his brilliant plan. 

“Take a picture of me with Mikan,” Tobio hands his phone to his sister. She shares a look with Alisa-san before both of them turn to Tobio, identical smiles of glee on their face. 

“The lighting is no good here,” Miwa nee-san rises to her feet, nudging Tobio with her foot to tell him to get up too. “Let’s go by the window seat.”

Somehow— 

(Actually not _somehow_ , he knows exactly how it happened and honestly should have known it would end up like considering his sister was involved.)

—Tobio ends up sitting on the cushioned ledge by Miwa nee-san's large French windows while Alisa-san rearranges some houseplants to surround him and his sister fluffs up his hair and places Alisa-san’s sunglasses on his head, adjusting his denim jacket so it’s partially slipping off his shoulder. Mikan bats at his chest so he is distracted by the overwhelming cuteness and can’t be bothered to question his sister and pseudo-sister-in-law. 

“Okay…” Miwa nee-san stands a couple of metres back from Tobio. “Hold Mikan up a little higher...and hold it there.” 

Mikan is a cat however and does not understand Miwa nee-san's instructions. Just as his sister takes the photo, Mikan surges forward, her paw connecting with Tobio’s lips. 

“Oh,” Alisa-san peeks over Miwa nee-san's shoulder to look at the photo. The two of them analyze the picture, squinting and zooming in and out on it. “It’s adorable!” Alisa-san claps her hands.

“Can I get up now?” Tobio asks, Mikan still pawing away at his face. 

“Huh...” Miwa nee-san says, looking back at the photo and then at Tobio, “You’re kinda photogenic for such a scowly little baby.” 

Tobio, naturally, scowls at that. 

He can hear Alisa-san’s laughter as his sister squishes his cheeks and repeatedly calls him a baby, despite his protests. 

(He is _not_ a baby, never say ‘Babyama’ again.)

But, Tobio’s plan is going smoothly so far, so he can put up with his sister for one afternoon. 

📷🏐💞

Tobio is busy for the rest of the day and doesn’t get a chance to continue his plan until he’s back at his apartment that night. Tobio sits in bed, the bedside lamp filling the room with warm light, as he looks over the picture. His finger hovers over the post button, eyes reviewing the post before he sends it out to the world. 

The picture, like Alisa-san, had said, is pretty cute. It’s an angled shot of Tobio and Mikan; Mikan’s tiny paw squishing his lips and Tobio’s eyes large with surprise, the heart-shaped, pink-tinted sunglasses nearly slipping off his crown. Mikan’s orange fur contrasts against the blue of his jacket and the house plants and natural light give a very cozy vibe. 

Before Tobio starts second-guessing himself or thinking about whether 10 PM is an appropriate time to post a picture, he hits post. He turns his phone off, leaving it on his nightstand to charge, turns his lamp off and goes to sleep. 

📷🏐💞

Apparently, there are consequences to doing something as simple as posting a picture on Instagram. 

Here’s how the nice PR intern, Aoi-san, explained it to him: cute boy + cute cat = heart eyes. 

(Aoi-san worked very hard through this whole ordeal; he should really send her a fruit basket or something.)

While Tobio had initially been prepared for consequences in the form of his nosy friends and teammates, he is less prepared for the consequences concerning his career.

“It’s a _really_ good brand deal, Kageyama-san! You already have a solid presence in the pro volleyball world and now you’re steadily building a social media presence too!” Aoi-san smiles at him, all earnest positivity and enthusiasm. Tobio just sighs, slumping further into his seat. 

They have him sitting in some retro, diner-style booth, in a navy blue bomber jacket, hair parted, with gentle waves instead of his usual stick-straight bangs, some glittery stickers beneath his eye, and pastel band-aids wrapped around his finger. To draw attention to his hands is what the production director tells him. In his hands is a milk carton, straw inserted and at the ready.

(A recurring theme in the advertisement deals Tobio accepts: free food.)

The shoot quickly begins, after stylists come and touch him up one last time. The staff directs him into different poses: _rest your chin on your palm, look right at the camera, now out the window, take a sip from the straw, head on your forearms, tilt your head, right there, don’t move…_

(His manager and staff must have warned them beforehand about asking Tobio to smile for them…)

It’s tiring work. Tobio doesn't know how his sister or Alisa-san do this all the time. After several hours, the camera director tells him they have enough shots and he’s allowed to go home now (with as much milk as he pleases, of course). 

Part of the advertisement agreement was that Tobio posts some promotional pictures on his Instagram with pre-written hashtags and comments. A week and a bit later he’s sent a selection of photos, the ones that were not going to be used for official ads, and asked to choose two of them to post. 

He sits with Aoi-san, reviewing the photos to post. Tobio is just selecting the photos and letting Aoi-san deal with the rest since double/triple checking he got the right comment and everything sounds like too much of a hassle. 

“They all look good!” Aoi-san says and Tobio kinda just wishes she’d pick for him. 

“Let’s just go with these ones,” Tobio points to one where he’s staring at the camera and one where he's looking off to the side. Aoi-san promises she’ll have everything ready to post soon and Tobio slinks off back to practice, glad to have that over with.

📷🏐💞

The next few days Tobio is busy with practice matches and scrimmages and hardly has time to check his phone let alone his Instagram account. But a message from the Media team telling him that the marketing people for the advertisement are rather pleased with the engagement so far has Tobio opening the app once again.

He clicks on the milk ad post and sees countless comments saying he’s good looking and that they’re in love and wish the milk came with the handsome model too.

(How is it bragging if that’s _literally_ what was commented…?)

He ignores all that though and goes and clicks on Atsumu-san’s account. 

Since his post with Mikan, Tobio has also posted a few other pictures, since Aoi-san and Miwa nee-san both said it would probably be beneficial for his ad deal. So, there’s a few sporadic posts of him in his Adlers uniform, another one of Mikan, and one with him, Miwa nee-san, and Alisa-san as well. 

Tobio checks again and sees Atsumu-san has not liked any of them. He only liked the first one that he posted of both of them in the cafe. In the past three weeks, he hasn’t posted any new pictures of Tobio either. There are a couple of pictures of Atsumu-san with his MSBY team and one of him at Miya Onigiri, however.

Tobio huffs, frustrated that he’s unable to understand what’s going on in his boyfriend’s mind. The fact that they’ve both been busy lately likely isn’t helping either. With a burst of impulsive energy, Tobio exits Instagram and calls Atsumu-san. 

The phone rings about five times before Atsumu-san answers it, “Tobio-kun?”

“Are you busy?” Tobio asks, skipping all the preamble. 

“Uh…”

“I’m coming over. 30 minutes,” Tobio informs, grabbing his jacket and wallet. 

“Wait, what—”

“See you soon,” Tobio says firmly and maybe slightly threateningly. 

(That is _not_ just how he always talks. There was _nuance_ to it.)

📷🏐💞

Half an hour later, Tobio stands in the MSBY dorms, outside of Atsumu-san’s apartment door. Hinata is the one who answers the door, cracking it open at popping his head out.

Hinata looks at him and whispers, “Stop that.”

“Stop _what?_ ” Tobio whispers back, slightly unsure why they are whispering. 

“That!” Hinata hisses, pointing at Tobio’s face.

“That’s just my face!” Tobio glares.

“It’s a _scary_ face. Do something about your resting bitch face, dummy. You’re gonna Atsumu-kun an ulcer!” Hinata huffs, finally opening the door wider to let Tobio in.

“If it’s my resting face what am I supposed to do about it?” Tobio shoulders Hinata on his way in, just because.

“ _Fix it_ ,” Hinata slaps his shoulder. 

“You fix _your_ stupid face!” The two of them keep bickering in hushed voices, shoving and pushing each other. 

“Are you two going to stand in front of the door all day?” a rather unimpressed and somewhat disgusted Sakusa-san stares them down.

“Sakusa-san,” Tobio greets, releasing Hinata’s hair. 

“Omi-san!” Hinata chirps, “Are you leaving?” he points at Sakusa-san’s outerwear. 

“Yes.”

“Oh, why?”

“I don’t want to be here for this.”

(Fair enough because he barely wanted to be there either.)

“Bye-bye!” Hinata waves as they let Sakusa-san pass through the entryway and out the door. 

Tobio smacks Hinata one last time before marching into the apartment, in search of his idiot. 

He bumps into the aforementioned idiot as he enters the living room and kitchen area. 

“Tobio-kun! What’re ya doing here?” Atsumu-san laughs, an air of nervousness surrounding him. Atsumu-san and nervousness don’t look good together, Tobio decides.

“I told you I was coming,” Tobio states impassively. 

“Right! And now you’re here…” Atsumu-san trails off, eyes wandering around the room, looking anywhere but at Tobio.

“I…” Hinata slips around Tobio, “aaaaam... going to go make food!” 

“We just ate lunch,” Atsumu-san grits out, sending a look towards Hinata. He wonders if Atsumu-san thinks Tobio can’t see him right now.

“Well, _somebody_ needs to feed our guest, since you’re being such a rotten host right now,” Hinata scolds, hands on his hips.

“I’m the best host ever!” Atsumu-san glowers— 

(At least he learns that, among several other things, Atsumu-san is pretty sensitive about his hospitality skills.)

— and he then drags Tobio away to his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him with fervour. 

“So…” Atsumu-san faces away from Tobio, belatedly realizing he just dragged Tobio into his bedroom where they are now alone. 

Tobio sighs. He steps forward and grabs Atsumu-san’s elbow, spinning him around so they’re facing each other before wrapping his arms around him. Tobio tightens his hold around Atsumu-san’s torso, burying his face at the junction of his neck.

“Stop ignoring me,” Tobio says, although it comes out more like a pleading whine.

“M’not,” Atsumu-san mumbles, gently returns the hug, “We’re hugging right now.”

“You’re being mean,” Tobio pouts. 

“I wasn’t _trying_ to be—” Tobio pulls back, cutting Atsumu-san off.

“Stop ignoring me,” he repeats, looking Atsumu-san in the eyes this time, “It’s not fair. I-I don’t like it, you can’t just...just…” Tobio trails off, words getting stuck in his throat.

Tobio’s never been the best at words or emotions or even facial expressions. So, he has no clue what kind of emotions are painted on his face when he says those words but he thinks he sees something akin to guilt flash across Atsumu-san's face when he does. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Atsumu-san murmurs, hands reaching up to cup Tobio’s face. He kisses Tobio lightly, pecking short and sweet kisses all over his mouth, “You’re right, I was being mean,” Tobio lets himself be pulled into another hug.

“I was just… _embarrassed_ ,” Atsumu-san admits, stroking Tobio’s back with one hand. 

“Why?” 

“When you posted that picture of us, it felt like you were makin’ fun of me…” Atsumu-san mumbles shyly against the side of Tobio’s head.

“I wasn’t.”

“That’s what Shoyo-kun said,” Astumu-san laughs sheepishly.

“You should listen to Hinata more, he’s usually right about these things,” Tobio pinches Atsumu-san’s side, causing him to squirm and yelp. “Don’t tell him I said that though,” Tobio warns—

(Said what just now? He didn’t say anything. Whatever you think you heard, you didn’t. Nope. You misheard, dumbass.)

— and then Tobio breaks away from the almost-too-warm embrace, taking his coat off and tossing it on the back of Atsumu-san’s desk chair, before flopping down onto the bed. 

He feels Atsumu-san crawl into bed beside him, shuffling up next to Tobio and wrap an arm around his waist. 

“So...you weren’t mad or weirded out or anything,” Atsumu-san traces small circles on Tobio’s side, right above his hip bone, consequently bunching up the fabric of Tobio’s shirt, warm fingers skimming over the sliver of exposed skin. 

“No,” Tobio says, shifting a bit to get more comfortable, “I already knew you were obsessed with me.” 

“Hey!” Atsumu-san sits up, smacking Tobio’s bicep. “I took the time and effort to put together a portfolio full of _taste_ and _opulence._ ” 

“Shots the veins on my arms after working out is considered _tasteful?_ ”

“...See, I knew you’d make fun of me,” Atsumu-san pouts, laying down again and hiding his face in the crook of Tobio’s neck. 

Tobio rolls his eyes. He squirms for a moment, pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

“Whacha doing?” Atsumu-san peeks at Tobio’s screen.

“Stop being such a baby now,” Tobio says and with probably more passion than is necessary, scrolls through Atsumu-san’s Instagram page, liking every single photo of himself.

“Wait!” Atsumu-san reaches a hand out, wrapping it around Tobio’s wrist.

“What?”

“Scroll up,” Atsumu-san demands. Tobio scrolls up to the previous photo. “Like this one too, I look really hot in it,” Atsumu-san double taps the phone screen for him. 

“I should have just blocked you instead,” Tobio sighs. 

“No, you can't do that!” Atsumu-san whines, throwing a leg over Tobio’s waist and clinging to him tightly. 

“Idiot,” Tobio mutters but it probably sounds fond—

(His love language is insults? What does that even mean? Why are you all agreeing?)

— but it’s okay, Tobio supposes. Enough people genuinely remind Atsumu-san of how much an idiot he is on a daily basis already. 

“Hey,” Atsumu-san says after a moment, tone now more sombre. “Ya know why I take so many photos of you?” 

“I’ve been told I have a camera-ready resting bitch face.” 

“No,” Tobio feels Atsumu-san laugh a bit, “I mean, that’s true but... It’s ‘cause I like showing the rest of the world how _I_ see you.” 

“Oh…” Tobio feels his face heat up, not expecting that answer at all. Tobio coughs, clearing his throat, “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I don’t know,” Atsumu-san shrugs, “Thought you’d tell me to stop or think it’s embarrassing.”

“It _is_ embarrassing,” Tobio insists. “But I can live with it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s mostly embarrassing for _you_ anyway. Fucking whipped much?” 

“...”

“Do you lie awake at night, thinking of my arm veins, Atsumu-san?”

“You’re ruining the moment, Tobio-kun.”

“You really like it when I wear athletic tights too, huh?” 

“Hey, where’s Shoyo-kun with that food, huh?” Atsumu-san rolls out of bed, heading towards the door. Tobio sits up on his elbows and watches Atsumu-san fumble with the door before running out of the room.

“Idiot,” he shakes his head. His idiot, though.

📷🏐💞

The next day, Tobio gets a text from Hinata around noon:

 **Hinata Boke🍊🌞:** **  
****_please don’t kill our setter we have a game this weekend_ **

(Tobio still doesn't understand why people are so cryptic in situations like this. Why can’t they just tell him what’s happening?)

Tobio glares at his screen before typing a response back.

 **Me:** **  
****_What is it now??_ **

All Hinata sends him after that is a link which Tobio immediately clicks on. It takes him to Instagram, specifically Astumu-san’s account, more specifically his latest post.

It’s Tobio. Again. Except this time he’s sleeping, shirtless and in his bed, the light grey sheets a rumpled mess around him. There’s a trail of splotchy red hickeys that are clearly visible on his neck and collarbone, bare chest on full display. To the left is Atsumu-san, winking at the camera with a possessive arm around Tobio’s sleeping figure.  
  


 **miya_onigiri✔: fucking gross wtf is wrong with you** **  
****kiyoomisaku✔: put pornography on my feed again and i’ll spike a ball at your dick** **  
****heyheyheybokuto✔: atsu-kun no…** **  
****sunarin: Blocked❌ and Reported🤢** **  
****syoyo_h21✔: i tried so hard to help u if u die it’s all on u atsumu-kun** **  
****ojiroaran✔: how to unsee…** **  
****hoshiumimimi✔: tagging @kagstobio so i can witness a murder** **  
****tsukkei: lmao if you want to see a murder tag his sister** **  
****yamagucci: DO NOT tag his sister omg** **  
****miya_onigiri✔: tagging her @miwabeauty** **  
****yachitoka: ohh this is not going to end well** **  
****syoyo_h21✔: atsumu-kun you stupid idiot 😭**

And this is exactly why Tobio wanted to avoid social media in the first place.

(Okay, he’s done telling his side of the story. The Council of Miwa may proceed with choosing a verdict on whether Local Idiot, Miya Atsumu deserves to live another day.) 

📷🏐💞

The Council of Miwa is a sub-organization of the Tobio Defence Squad, led by their benefactor/ruler, Kageyama Miwa. Other members currently sitting on the board are Hinata, Alisa, Suga, Osamu, wonder kitten Mikan, and neutral party: world-famous Kodzuken who actually has no clue what’s going on but was promised apple _sharlotka_. 

Fortunately for the defendant, Miya (Shithead) Atsumu, the Council of Miwa has decided to spare his life but he is officially banned from the Tobio Defence Squad and his benefits package (monthly baby photos of Tobio) have subsequently been terminated. 

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Mikan means tangerine in Japanese; Mikan the wonder cat is most definitely named after Hinata, Tobio is a filthy liar.
> 
> This was so fun to write, I really enjoyed writing it from Tobio's POV with the little interruptions as he tells his story. I hope you guys liked it too!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Leaving some kudos or comments & let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Find me on tumblr @spider-momo or follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/petiteshoyo)


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